Tag Archives: Thin Lizzy

Bad Reputation is Thin Lizzy’s eighth studio album, released in 1977. As the front cover suggests, most of the tracks feature only three-quarters of the band, with guitarist Brian Robertson only credited on three tracks. He had missed most of their earlier tour, following an injury sustained in a brawl, and this album turned out to be his last studio effort with Thin Lizzy.

“Teaming up with legendary producer Tony Visconti, Thin Lizzy managed to pull off a nifty trick of sounding leaner and tougher than they did on Johnny, yet they also had a broader sonic palette. Much of this is due, of course, to Visconti, who always had a flair for subtle dramatics that never called attention to themselves, and he puts this to use in dramatic effect here, to the extent that Lizzy sound stripped down to their bare bones, even when they have horns pushing them forward on “Dancing in the Moonlight” or when overdubbed vocals pile up on the title track. Of course, they were stripped down to a trio for most of this record: guitarist Brian Robertson (who’d injured his hand) had to sit out on most of the recording, but Scott Gorham’s double duty makes his absence unnoticeable. Plus, this is pure visceral rock & roll, the hardest and heaviest that Thin Lizzy ever made, living up to the promise of the title track. And, as always, a lot of this has to do with Phil Lynott’s writing, which is in top form whether he’s romanticizing “Soldiers of Fortune” or heading down the “Opium Trail.” It adds up to an album that rivals Jailbreak as their best studio album.”

My three favorite Lizzy albums are:

1. Bad Reputation
2. Johnny The Fox
3. Jailbreak

It is strange to listen to these albums now, they are so mellow and soulful. We regarded them as hard rock records in the late 70s, but now I will describe them as Hard-rock/soul albums. And how great is Phil Lynott’s singing, he’s a great soul singer!

It’s sort of a feeling of power onstage. It’s really the ability to make people smile, or just to turn them one way or another for that duration of time, and for it to have some effect later on. I don’t really think it’s power… it’s the goodness.
~Robert Plant

My vocal style I haven’t tried to copy from anyone. It just developed until it became the girlish whine it is today.
~Robert Plant

Whole Lotta Love – live 1970:

From Wikipedia:

Birth name

Robert Anthony Plant

Born

20 August 1948 (age 64)
West Bromwich, (then Staffordshire, now West Midlands), England

Band of Joy, Led Zeppelin, The Honeydrippers, Page and Plant, Strange Sensation, Alison Krauss, The New Yardbirds

Robert Anthony Plant, CBE (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career. In 2007, Plant released Raising Sand, an album produced by T-Bone Burnett with American bluegrass soprano Alison Krauss, which won the 2009 Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the 51st Grammy Awards.

With a career spanning more than 40 years, Plant is regarded as one of the most significant singers in the history of rock music, and has influenced contemporaries and later singers such as Freddie Mercury and Axl Rose. In 2006, heavy metal magazine Hit Parader named Plant the “Greatest Metal Vocalist of All Time”. In 2009, Plant was voted “the greatest voice in rock” in a poll conducted by Planet Rock. In 2011, a Rolling Stone readers’ pick placed Plant in first place of the magazine’s “Best Lead Singers of All Time”.

Legacy:

In 2006, heavy metal magazine Hit Parader named Plant No. 1 on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocalists of All-Time, a list which included Rob Halford (2), Steven Tyler (3), Freddie Mercury (6), Geddy Lee (13), and Paul Stanley (18), all of whom were influenced by Plant.

In 2008, Rolling Stone named Plant as number 15 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All-Time.

In 2009, he was voted the “greatest voice in rock” in a poll conducted by Planet Rock.

Plant was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours for his “services to popular music”.

He was included in the Q magazine’s 2009 list of “Artists Of The Century” and was ranked at number 8 in their list of “100 Greatest Singers” in 2007.

In 2009, Plant also won the Outstanding Contribution to Music prize at the Q Awards.

He was placed at no. 3 on SPIN’s list of “The 50 Greatest Rock Frontmen of All Time”.

On 20 September 2010 National Public Radio (NPR) named Plant as one of the “50 Great Voices” in the world.

Black Dog – Live:

No Zeppelin on Spotify.
Album of the day – Raising Sand (Plant/Krauss):

With a career spanning more than 40 years, Plant is regarded as one of the most significant singers in the history of rock music, and has influenced contemporaries and later singers such as Freddie Mercury and Axl Rose. In 2006, heavy metal magazine Hit Parader named Plant the “Greatest Metal Vocalist of All Time”. In 2009, Plant was voted “the greatest voice in rock” in a poll conducted by Planet Rock. In 2011, a Rolling Stone readers’ pick placed Plant in first place of the magazine’s “Best Lead Singers of All Time”.

Legacy:

In 2006, heavy metal magazine Hit Parader named Plant No. 1 on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocalists of All-Time, a list which included Rob Halford (2), Steven Tyler (3), Freddie Mercury (6), Geddy Lee (13), and Paul Stanley (18), all of whom were influenced by Plant.

In 2008, Rolling Stone named Plant as number 15 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All-Time.

In 2009, he was voted the “greatest voice in rock” in a poll conducted by Planet Rock.

Plant was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours for his “services to popular music”.

He was included in the Q magazine’s 2009 list of “Artists Of The Century” and was ranked at number 8 in their list of “100 Greatest Singers” in 2007.

In 2009, Plant also won the Outstanding Contribution to Music prize at the Q Awards.

He was placed at no. 3 on SPIN‘s list of “The 50 Greatest Rock Frontmen of All Time”.

On 20 September 2010 National Public Radio (NPR) named Plant as one of the “50 Great Voices” in the world.

Whole Lotta Love – live 1970:

Black Dog – Live:

No Zeppelin on Spotify.
Album of the day – Raising Sand (Plant/Krauss):